Adjustable hub liner for locomotives



Sept. 3, 1935. w. H. JOHNSTON 2,013,493

ADJUSTABLE HUB LINER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Sept. 14, 1931 35 3 a filler block having a liner associated therewith Patented Sept. 3, 1935 ADJUSTABLE HUB LINER FOR LOCQMOTHVES William H. Johnston, Proctor, Minn.

Application September 14, 1931, Serial No. 562,805

4 Claims.

This invention pertains to locomotive underframe, and more particularly to an improved arrangement for allowing controlled variable lat eral movement of the driving wheels.

When a locomotive passes around curves a heavy lateral pressure is exerted between the outside faces of the outside driving boxes and the faces of the hubs of the drivers. This lateral pressure causes a great deal of wear at the contact points, resulting in an excess clearance between these parts known as lateral. This lateral in common practice is usually taken up by a removable liner interposed between the drivers and the journal boxes, which liner may be removed when it is worn thin.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel means adapted to be interposed be tween parts in the underframe of a locomotive to permit a controlled variable movement between the hubs of the drivers and the faces of the driving boxes.

Another object is to provide an elective means to be disposed between parts of the locomotive underframe which will permit controlled lateral motion of the wheels and which will also allow adjustment as the parts wear.

A still further object is the provision of a removable liner adapted for movement lengthwise of the locomotive axle which will be held in position adjacent the central thrust bearing of the axle by a plurality of springs, whereby the lateral motion of the axle will be resiliently opposed.

A further object is the provision of means adapted to straddle a locomotive axle, including through resilient means, the construction functioning to permit variable lateral movement of the axle.

A further object is to provide an arrangement as described above with means for lubricating the parts.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawing and claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like reference char acters are used to designate like parts,

Figure l is an elevation taken transversely of the locomotive showing in section a form of lateral controlling means applied to the axle;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a combined filler block and liner with the leg plate shown broken away;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of lateral controlling means; and

Figure 4 is a front elevational View of a combined filler block and liner, as shown in Figure 2.

The usual locomotive drivers 4 which are keyed or otherwise positioned on the axle 2 are carried by the engine underframe 3 through the medium of suitable bearings 4. Bolted or otherwise secured as at 5 to the bearings d are suitable filler blocks designated in their entirety by 6. The filler blocks have resiliently associated therewith, as will be more particularly described, liners i positioned adjacent the thrust bearing 8. The bearing located substantially on the center line of the axle 2, is of any suitable type, being provided with adjusting means 9.

The filler blocks are formed to provide a base Ii! having a plurality of threaded openings i I for receiving the threaded studs l2 and a face plate 22, having side extensions to which are suitably bolted a top lug plate l5. The threaded studs i2 are adjustable in the base i0 and form means upon which are positioned the coil springs I6 adapted to engage at their other end an adjustment block l8. The liners l and also the filler blocks 8 are formed so as to straddle the axle 2, each liner at its upper portion being provided with a recess for receiving the adjusting block, which results in the liners being resiliently urged in a direction toward the thrust bearing 8 by the coil springs IS, without having direct engagement with the resilient member.

The top lug plate I5 is provided with the depending flanges shown, one of which has engagement with the face plate It, the lug plate being rigidly secured to the filler block by suitable bolts 20. The other flange on the lug plate has engagement with shoulder 2! provided on the liner 7. The lug plates can be removed, as will be clear from the above description, which will permit removal of the liners. It is first necessary, however, to slack or withdraw the coil springs it to relieve the tension on the liners, tending to force them toward the thrust bearing 8. By means of the bottom plate 22 connecting the spaced ends of each filler block, the liners are supported in the blocks.

By the above construction, it is seen that the removable liners l have movement lengthwise of the axle 2, the movement being limited by the top lug plate !5. With the parts in operating position, the coil spring N5 maintains the liners so that shoulder 2! engages the front depending flange on the lug plate. This determines the position of the liners, and as the parts become Worn, permitting greater play between the liners and the faces of the thrust bearing, the liners are removed and portions are machined from the shoulder 2|, or, if desirable, a new liner can be inserted. The liner is normally held in position by the spring pressure exerted by the coil springs IE, but when lateral movement of the axle takes place the thrust bearing will engage either of the removable liners, depending upon the direction of movement, causing compressing of the springs. The lateral movement of the axle is therefore opposed by the coil springs with the face plate M of the filler blocks defining maximum movement. The construction permits variable movement of the axle with respect to the underframe of the locomotive, which however is controlled and resiliently opposed by resilient means.

Referring to Figure 3, there is shown a modified form of lateral controlling means including a filler block I06 of the usual construction, secured as at I05 to the bearings 4. The usual form of threaded studs l l 2 are provided for receiving the coil springs l i5 which in this modification engage directly with a removable liner I61. The top plug plate I 15 is bolted by bolts 20 to the face plate H4 provided on the filler block, and by means'of the front depending flange serves to limit the movement of the liner. wear in this case is also made by removing the top plate 1 l5 and then the liner l I! and machining'aportion from the shoulder 12! formed on the liner, or, if desired, a new liner can be inserted. It has been found desirable to provide the contacting parts between the liner and thrust bearing 8 with lubrication and for the purpose, the modified form as shown in Figure 4 is provided with a bottom plate Q24 formed to provide a receptacle I25.

The plate is secured to the depending ends of the filler block and is thus positioned adjacent the face of the thrust bearing '8. A grease cake or other form of lubricating means is located in the receptacle I25, and by means of the spring I25 is resiliently urged into engagement with the face of the thrust bearing. By this structure a limited amount of lubricating means is constantly applied'to the engaging face, so that friction between the parts is reduced to a minimum.

It isto be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the embodiment of the device shown, which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation, asvarious and other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of the inventionbr the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a locomotive underframe, an axle journalled in journal means mounted in said underframe, said axle having a thrust bearing secured centrally thereof, a filler block straddling the axle and secured to the journal means, said Adjustment for filler block having associated therewith a liner positioned at the end of the block adjacent the thrust bearing, a plurality of springs located within the filler block and between the base of said block and the liner, and a removable lug plate secured to the filler block for limiting the movement of the liner.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a locomotive underframe, an axle journalled in journal means mounted in said underframe, said axle having a thrust bearing secured centrally thereof, a filler block straddling the axle and secured to the journal means, a liner also straddling the axle and being interposed between the filler block and thrust bearing, a plurality of springs located between the liner and filler block for yieldingly holding the liner in engagement with the thrust bearing, means on the filler block retaining the liner but permitting limited movement longitudinally of the axle, and means mounting the springs in the filler block, said mounting means being adjustable for adjusting the tension exerted by the springs.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a locomotive underframe, an axle journalled in journal means mounted in said underframe, said axle having a thrust bearing secured centrally thereof, a filler block straddling the axle and secured to the journal means, a liner also straddling the axle and being interposed between the filler block and thrust bearing, a plurality of springs located between the liner and fillerblock for yieldingly holding the liner in engagement with the thrust bearing, means on the filler block retaining the liner but permitting limited movement longitudinally of the axle, means mounting the springs in the filler block, and a receptacle provided by said block for containing lubricating means, said lubricating means being resiliently urged into contact with the thrust bearing. 7

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a locomotive underframe, an axle, journal bearings mounted in said underframe for journalling the axle, a thrust bearing on the axle, a filler block having a journal face secured to the journal bearing, a liner member between the filler'blo ck and the thrust bearing having one face presented to the thrust bearing and its oppositeface presented in confronting relation with thecorresponding face on the filler block, resilient meansurging the first named face of the liner member into contact with the thrust bearing, said resilient means also holding the liner memberand filler'block normally in spaced relation, and means bridging the confronting faces of the filler block and lineumember for limiting the spreading action of the resilient means, said bridging means being detachable for releasing the liner member for replacement or for correcting its adjustment to thereby compensate for wear on that face of the liner member which contacts the thrust bearing. I

WILLIAM H. JOHNSTON. 

